14 years ago, a friend loaned Josephine and Paul Luczak their Cape Schanck home to stay in after their wedding. Eight years later, the couple found themselves in the same spot, only this time falling in love with the house next door!
‘It must have been kismet,’ says Josephine.
Josephine (who is the director of freight forwarding company Elto Freight) and Paul (who works in the financial services industry, as chairman of The Gild Group) first laid eyes on the home via a photo of the ocean view, and that alone was enough to seal the deal. They were pleasantly surprised to discover its original 1988 interiors, and additional outlooks to nature from every room.
‘The area around us has been developed as much as it ever will be, so the view over Gunnamatta and beyond to Lorne will always remain,’ says Josephine.
‘We love the true holiday feel without crowds or shops, but that it is still so close to all the beautiful attractions of the Mornington Peninsula.’
After purchasing the property as a family holiday house, the couple soon set about some minor cosmetic renovations.They painted the timber kitchen cupboards in Dulux Tranquil Retreat, and removed an awkward timber counter to make way for a new stone bench.
The bathroom was also renovated, and old carpet was removed.
‘I think it was all completed within a month. We didn’t want to meddle too much — just update where it was needed,’ says Josephine.
The couple later installed new light grey floors to match the white washed pine interiors walls, and weathered western red cedar exterior with original sage green trims.
Josephine likens the home to a Danish summer house. Decoration is minimal to respect the simplicity of original 1980s design, and to ensure the stunning surrounding landscape remains the focus of time spent here.
‘I like to keep it minimal, not only as it is nice to come here and feel free of clutter, but because the surrounding nature speaks for itself,’ Josephine says. ‘I drew inspiration from the colours of the bush and ocean for most of the decorating, and kept the furniture simple.’
The surrounding garden featuring towering moonah trees, coastal rosemary, and tea trees, is largely left to run wild, apart from a tidy up with the whipper snipper each month!
Paul, Josephine and their children Elodie (10) and Fintan (7) love unwinding as a family in the living room, or on the upstairs deck, gazing out at the coastline beyond.
‘It’s incredibly calming and makes you really appreciate the rhythms of nature,’ says Josephine. ‘Watching the sunrise with a cup of coffee, or unwinding with a wine at sunset really readjusts the body clock in a positive way.’
With its relaxed and nostalgic feel, this beautifully understated home serves as a gentle reminder that sometimes simplicity is the greatest luxury of all. And ocean views don’t hurt either!
